Rocks and Gravel

Press Release

Banding Together for Fresh Coffee with a Conscience - Family of Artists Use Crowdfunding to Start Online Coffee Bean Company That Gives Back

Rock duo The Kin joins forces with family members to launch new online coffee bean company, Rocks and Gravel, whose mission is to deliver fresh coffee directly from roaster to doorstep while staying farmer, eco, bird and artist-friendly.

New York, NY, January 29, 2014 --(PR.com)-- Australian-born musicians and brothers Isaac and Thorald Koren (best known as The Kin) are banding together for another passion besides music. On January 6, 2014, the popular rock duo joined forces with other family members to launch a Kickstarter campaign to raise $20,000 seed money for their new business venture Rocks and Gravel -- an online coffee bean company that delivers coffee fresh from the roaster to your doorstep. Coined as “conscious coffee,” Rocks & Gravel roasted coffee is certified Fair Trade, USDA organic, bird-friendly and shipped in recyclable, reusable designer aluminum cans. After the company’s full launch, R&G will donate 10% of their proceeds to the The Hunger Project, a non-profit organization that fights to end hunger and poverty among women in Peru where the bean is grown.

The BirthThe business idea was born when R&G Founder Isaac Koren learned that his wife Sophie was pregnant with their son in September 2013. He wanted to build a company that would help create a greener earth for his son and for generations of coffee drinkers to come. The problem he saw was three-fold:1. Many coffees are oven-roasted, burned, bitter, full of mold and toxins and spend too much time sitting on shelves.2. Many coffees are packaged in non-recyclable packaging, impacting the long-term health of our environment.3. Many coffees are not organic, fair-trade nor bird-friendly, affecting the lives that the bean comes in contact with.

Isaac teamed up with brother Thorald to form the Rocks & Gravel Crew, including sister Georgina Koren, wife Sophie Koren, artist Stef Mitchell and Ashley Maher (Thorald’s fiance). Together, the team came up with a product that solved these problems in the following ways:

Customer-friendly – Rocks & Gravel Members get $1 off their next coffee tin order when they refer a friend

Artist-friendly – the artist designing each collectible tin, Stef Mitchell, receives a royalty for every tin sold

Once the campaign is complete, Rocks & Gravel will donate 10% of future profits to The Hunger Project for their charitable work in Peru where the bean is grown.

The TasteThe Rocks & Gravel Coffee is always guaranteed fresh and delicious. A certified organic Full City Roast, the beans are shipped directly from a local Pennsylvania roaster. The roast is between a medium and dark roast, and perfect when prepared as a pour over (Chemex) or a cold brew. It has the right balance of bite and aroma, bold and chocolatey with a smooth, smoky flavor.

Kickstarter for CoffeeThe R&G Crew launched a crowdfunding campaign through Kickstarter on January 6, 2014 with a goal of raising $20,000 for seed money. In the first six days, they raised $14,000 or 70% of their goal. As of the date of this press release, they are currently well over $19,000 with another 24 days left in their campaign.

To support the Rocks & Gravel Kickstarter campaign:http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rocksandgravel/rocks-and-gravel-coffee-organic-eco-roasts-to-your